Portable suction cleaner



April 20, 1943. A. A. BREUER PORTABLE SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 15, 1939 C7? Adam Breuer EVEN Patented Apr. 20, 1943 PORTABLE SUCTION CLEANER Adam A. Brener, Chicago, 111., assignor to Breuer Electric Mfg. Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 15, 1939, Serial No. 309,315

(Cl. ass-so) 3 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to a portable suction cleaner, and more particularly to an electrically operated suction cleaning device which is compact and adapted to be c 'irried by an operator or temporarily otherwise supported while in use for cleaning purposes.

It has been found that there are many instances where a hand or body portable suction cleaner is more eflicient than a suction cleaner of the type utilizing a long hose for cleaning purposes. For example, hand or body portable cleaners have found special use in connection with the cleaning of stock bins, interiors of automobiles, boats and airplane bodies, for removing small debris, such as nuts, bolts, washers, pieces of wire, chips, shavings and the like from hardto-reach places, by a known method of suction cleaning.

Especially in connection with the cleaning of stock bins, the hose of the cleaners are not long enough to reach all the various bins, and likewise in connection with the cleaning of automobile, boat and airplane bodies, it is much more com venient for the operator to carry the suctionproducing mechanism, on his person and make electrical connection with a convenient electrical outlet disposed near his place of work, rather than having to drag a, long hose after him.

Difficulty has been encountered in using suction cleaners for the purposes above mentioned, due to the fact that much metallic dross is picked up by such cleaners, with the result that oftentimes the suction fans are damaged or broken, thus disabling such cleaners for further use, causing delays in time and a consequent waste of money and curtailment of production.

The present invention overcomes the above mentioned objections by providing a hand or body portable, combined suction cleaner and precipitation or settlings collector, which combined structure is light in weight, small in size, adds little to the load carried by the operator, and is efilcient in use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a combined suction producing mechanism and precipitation collector as a unit structure which maybe carried on or by an operator while in use for cleaning purposes or be temporarily supported as by hanging on a hook or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a precipitation or settling attachment of light weight and small size. which may be attached to the suction inlet of a portable suction-producing device, such as a household vacuum cleaner or of portable suction cleaner apparatus for remov ing matter injurious to the suction-producing and air-filtering means of the apparatus from the suction air stream prior to the entry of the air stream into the apparatus, and which is so arranged that the centriiugal'foice of the air passing therethrough may be utilized to throw foreign and other injurious matter picked up into a separate compartment, where it will collect without interfering with the air flow and efllciency of either the attachment or the cleaner apparatus.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a hose and settlings collector combination which may be readily applied to a vacuum cleaner to prevent injury to the suction-producing and air-filtering means of the cleaner.

The above, other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing. The accompanying drawing illustrates several embodiments of the present invention, and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure l is an elevational view of the combined suction-producing mechanism and settlings collector as a unitary structure, showing the appearance of the same when carried on the person of a user;

Figure 2 is an enlarged end view of the settlings collector, the collector cover being removed to disclose the internal parts of the collector;

Figure 3 is a diametric section of the same, taken substantially on the line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an end view of the settlings collector-embodying a modified form of easing construction, portions of one of the casing end wall plates being cut away to showthe internal parts of this construction.

As shown on the drawing:

Referring to Figure 1, a suction device, generally indicated at A, is shown as being supported on the person of a user by means of a strap Iiipassing over the shoulder of the wearer, this strap being connected in any suitable manner to the suction device. The suction producing mechanism or device A includes the usual casing for housing an electric motor for operating a suction fan within a fan casing portion H of the device, the tan casing having a central inlet-at the {an axis and a centrifugal discharge outlet l2 arranged for connection at its discharge end to a suitable dust bag or receiver II.

In the usual suction cleaner, it is the customary practice'to connect a suction hose directly to the suction inlet of the fan casing. It will readily be apparent, however, that with this arrangement any dross or foreign particles sucked up by the hose will be carried directly into the fan casing, where it may impinge against the suction fan or operating parts associated therewith and cause destructive damage. In order to overcome the possibility of the occurrence of such damage, my improved settlings collector is arranged to be inserted between the hose connection.

and the suction inlet of the fan casing so as to settle out or precipitate any foreign matter passing through the hose before it reaches the suction inlet of the fan casing.

For this purpose, I have provided as a preferred arrangement, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8, a settlings attachment generally indicated at B. Morespeciflc'ally, the invention comprises a generally cylindrical wall H which cooperates with end walls I! and I8 to provide a housing or casing. One of the end walls, in this instance, the wall it is permanently secured as by welding or in any other well-known manner to the wall II, and the wall "is preferably made removable and fitted with a suitable handle I! to permit its conveniently being removed.

The. wall I! is provided substantially at its center with an exhaust or discharge opening it which may have associated therewith and support a suitable connector ",by means of which the casing may be removably connected to the fan casing with the exhaust opening it in communication with the suction inlet of the fan. A pipe 20 is secured at one end to the wall it, this pipe extending tangentially through the easing and providing an inlet for air sucked into the casing. The pipe 20 also forms a connection to which the suction hose 2| may be connected at one end.

With the foregoing arrangement of inlet and low a generally spiral path around'the-casing asrassa may be further improved by the provision of an additional baffle 23 within the casing. This baffle 23 may be constructed of foraminous material, as shown in Figure 3, or may be made of solid, non-foraminous material, as shown in Flaure 4. This baille is of arcuate construction and is preferably placed on the side of the tubular member 22 away from the side thereof at which the pipe 2| connects with the casing; It has also been found desirable to dispose this baiile in such a way that one of its side edges, as shown at 24, will be spaced from the tubular member, while the other side edge marginal portion, as shown at 28, will be closely disposed or have a line of engagement with the outer surface of the tubular member 22. From this line of engagement, the adjacent edge margin is formed into a hooked portion 25" which extends to and may be secured to the wall I I.

The baiile 23 thus acts as a barrier or shield between the foreign particles in the bottom of the casing and the tubular member 22 and prevents these particles from being drawn through the exhaust opening it into the cleaner. The baffle 23 further cooperates with the wall I l to provide a separate compartment for receiving the foreign-particles which have'been picked up by the air stream and, as the amount of collected until it reaches the exhaust opening i8, whence it may pass into the "suction inlet of the fan. Due to this whirling action of the entering air and its change of direction from the direction in which it enters the casing, any foreign particles or dross contained in the air will be carried by centrifugal force into engagement with the inner surface of the wall II and directed toward the bottom of the casing.

In order to further prevent the passage of these particles into the fan casing, the exhaust opening it is surrounded by a tubular member 22, which is preferably constructed of a foraminous material, this member being preferably disposed eccentrically about the exhaust opening. 'Inthe preferred construction, the tubular member is connected at one end to the wall It sons to be supported from this wall. The other end of the tubular member is so disposed. that-it will be engaged by the end wall or closure I8 when it is in closed position. This and of the-wall H need not be secured to the cover, and it will be apparent that during operation. of the cleaner, the cover I 8 will be retained against removal due 'to the suction existing within the casing.

"While the foregoing construction has been found to operate very'satisfactorily. its operation foreign particles increases in the bottom of the device,-they will be piled up until they reach the baille 23, this baille separating the particles from the member 22 and preventing the particles from clogging up or closing the normal path of the air stream above the'baifle 23 to the exhaust opening l8.- Under these conditions, the efliciency of the device will not be reduced, as air may still be discharged by passing above the baifle 23. It will be noted thatwhen the cover it is removed, the entire interior of the casing around the tubular member 22 and bailie 23 is exposed so that any foreign matter which has collected therein may be easily removed.

Referring to Figure 4, the modified construction shown therein operates in the same manner as the preferred form of the invention. This construction has the housing formed in a slightly different manner. More specifically, instead of the wall it being of circular construction, the wall .is provided with an arcuate portion it that is extended to form parallel side portions 26. These extended side portions cooperate with the end wall plates l5 and [6' which, in this case, are permanently secured in place to form a. lower portion of the housing, which is substantiallyof rectangular cross-section and deeper than in the previously described construction. In this construction, the bottom of the housing is closed by a hinged door 21 connected by a suitable hinge 28 at one edgeto the housing for swinging movement. This door is arranged to be held in closed position by means of a releasablelatch member 29 which may be of any suitable construction.

In order to empty the housing of foreign particles and accumulated debris, it is only necessary to release the latch 29 and permit the door 21 to swing to open position and discharge the foreign matter. The door is automatically latched in closed position when it is moved to a position closing the bottom of the housing.

It will be observed that the apparatus of the present invention provides a unitary, light, hand or body portable suction cleaning device and settlings collector which may be readily carried by an operator for use, for precipitating solid matter injurious to the suction-producing,and-air filter means out of the incoming suction air stream prior to the time such air stream enters the suction mechanism A. The provision of a precipitation or settlings collector connected to the suction inlet of the suction cleaner A efliciently eliminates all such matter from the suction air stream which enters the fan chamber of the device A, thereby preventing any and all damage to the suction fan and fan chamber whereby the use of the apparatus may be long-lived.

By reason of the fact that the unitary structure of the suction cleaner device A and settlings collector B may be readily supported by or on the person of an operator makes it possible for such operator to enter small spaces and thoroughly and efliciently clean them of all foreign matter, regardless of the character of such foreign matter. The only thing the operator has to drag behind him when using an apparatus of the present invention is the electric conductor 30 for supplying electrical energy to the motor within the device A. It will be readily appreciated that this conductor is much lighter andeasier to move around on the floor than a long and large suction hose. By the construction of the suction cleaner device A and settlings collector B as a unitary apparatus, the use of but a short suction hose has been found satisfactory for all purposes of cleaning.

The provision of the settlings collector B in the air suction stream prior to the entry of the air stream into the fan chamber of the suction device necessarily prevents the passage of any matter whatsoever into the dust bag which would cause damage to the bag. Nothing but dust and light dirt reaches the dust bag or container from the fan, since all injurious solid matter, metallic and otherwise, has been removed from the incoming suction air stream by the settlings collector interposed in such stream prior to its entry into the fan chamber of the device A.

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely as to details, yet it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereby, since changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A settlings collector adapted to be connected to the inlet oi. a portable vacuum cleaner comprising a casing having spaced side walls and a generally arcuate top, one of said walls having an exhaust opening substantially on the center-line of curvature of the casing top, a foraminous tubular member positioned between said walls and surrounding said opening, a tangential inlet duct entering the casing top above the tubular member, an arcuate baiiie extending between the walls below the tubular member, said baflie having a portion adjacent one edge closely disposed to the tubular member and its opposite upstream edge spaced from the tubular member, and closure means giving admittance to the casing interior below said bafiie.

2. A collector assembly adapted to be connected to the inlet of an air suction chamber comprising a casing having a tangential inlet opening and an axial outlet opening, a ioraminated member in said casing eccentrically surrounding said axial outlet opening, and an arcuate foraminated baiiie in said casing disposed eccentrically with respect to said foraminated member and bein positioned on the side of said foraminated member opposite the tangential inlet opening, said bailie having one end thereof spaced from said foraminated member to provide a mouth in the air path from said tangential inlet around the casing and the other end of said baille having line contact with said foraminated member adjacent said tangential inlet opening.

3. A collector assembly adapted to be connected to the inlet of an air suction chamber comprising a casing having a tangential inlet opening, a foraminated member in said casing extending transversely thereof and communicating with and surrounding a lateral outlet opening of the casing, and arcuate apertured baille means in said casing extending partially around and eccentrically disposed relative to said foramin-ated member whereby one end is in tangential relationship therewith adjacent the inlet opening and the other end is spaced therefrom and from the peripheral wall of the casing to define a mouth opening upstream into the path of air flow from the inlet for separating the air flow into a plurality of paths to said foraminated member.

ADAM A. BREUER. 

